Farmers should choose what they grow

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Background - 26 August, 2015

When we connect to farms and farmers, we understand more intimately where our food comes from. But with each passing day, corporations place intrusive industrial methods between us and farmers that not only threaten our health and degrade the environment, but also rob farmers and consumers of their rights.

Many countries in the developing world are signing deals with rich donor countries that mandate small farmers shift to industrial farming methods. They tell them what to plant and make them to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Farmers are forced to grow commodity crops for far off markets instead of local crops to feed people at home. In short, their “food sovereignty” - the right to choose what to plant, how to plant and for whom - is undermined.

Farmers need us and we need them. They need us to lead a revolution where ecological farming is the de facto way of bringing farm to table. By preserving ecological farming methods and food sovereignty, farmers can maintain direct relationships with the community to determine what to grow and eat, which increases food security with indigenous crops that provide nutritious food for all.